Life Is Complicated When Everyone Is Confused
by Harry Potter Fan 1994
Summary: With a war over, it's finally safe for the princess to come back and rule her kingdom. Only, who's the princess? While we're asking questions, who's the new girl in Wayne Manor, and is she some kind of threat? DxK, minor GxR and CxB
1. Chapter 1

This idea just hit me, and I had to write it down...sorry, more stories out...

The title and rating may change, so if you have any ideas and suggestions let me know! I'd put it in the summary, but those things are so short!

Disclaimer: I own nothing...

* * *

Peace stole over the old man's face at last. He didn't look old and frail, that was for sure. The man stood at an alarming height, well over seven feet, long arms and legs bulging with muscles. There wasn't a streak of white in his orangey hair. Yet, he had the air of one who had been fighting for a very long time. And he had. 

King Galfore opened his beady, emerald eyes and nodded at his advisor. "The princess may return, now, yes?"

"Yes, your Highness. Gordania has just finished signing the peace treaty. All is safe for her."

Galfore smiled, the action causing his greatest battle scar, an eight-inch long cut that just missed his eye, to sting. He stopped quickly. "Eighteen years..." he muttered wearily. "Eighteen years since I have seen my little _bumgorf_. Where did you say she was?"

The advisor checked his maps. "In the kingdom called...Gotham."

* * *

Halfway around the world, Kory Anders's tinkling laugh sounded across the grounds of Wayne Manor. "Richard Grayson, you will NOT get away with false illnesses this time! You _will_ be at that meeting today, and if I must, I shall push you there in a wheelchair!"

Dick Grayson groaned. "But Kory, it's so _boring_..."

Kory slapped a towel lightly across his arm. "You are a grown man. Stop behaving as though you are a child," she reprimanded, unable to hide a small smile. Her best friend waved it off.

"Not grown. Only twenty-three!"

Kory sighed, sitting on the bed beside we he lay. "I will never understand you, Dick. One minute you are as obsessed and stubborn as Master Bruce, and the next..." She shook her head. "The next, you are just like _Gar_."

Dick frowned. "Don't call him Master, Kory, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"He is my master. I have no choice. You know this." Kory shrugged it off. "Now rise."

Dick did as he was told, grumbling the whole way to the bathroom. "Why don't you call _me _Master, then? I _am_ the next in line here, you know."

"Because you are my best friend. I do not have to." She smiled cheekily and snapped the towel again as a threat. "And as your best friend, I have certain methods to put you in your place that other servants usually are not allowed to use...painful as they are."

Dick rushed into the bathroom, well aware of Kory's amazing strength...and how much it hurt when she really put her mind to it.

* * *

Again, short, sorry. The next chapter will be a LOT longer, that is, if you guys like it so far. And I bet it sounds a lot like Double Identity right now, but it won't be, really. 

I know I promised no more Bruce to some of you, but I researched him a little and hopefully I get his character right, now. But if you see any flaws, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know what they are, so I can fix them.

Do you guys mind if we pretend Gordania and Tamaran are actual countries?


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to **cartoonfire, tennisgal456, RavenSis, milkshakelvr, Nightstar Grayson, RobinxStarfireLuvr, jcyz, Black Raven 13, BerryDrops, SuPeR HyPeR chick 101, shattered-hearts-602** and **XxNightfirexX** for reviewing the last chapter, even though it was so short, lol. This one's nice and long, hopefully with enough explanations :)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, and apparently I don't own any spelling skills either...or I'm just not typing well today.

* * *

"'Bye, Kory. It was nice knowing you. Because, you know, I'm going to die of boredom over there..." Dick grumbled as Kory handed him his suitcase. Kory rolled her eyes. 

"You say that every morning, Dick. And yet, you not only manage to make it home alive and well, but you always stay for hours extra," she argued, her hands on her hips. Dick shrugged, grinning, and opened the front door. His smile quickly flipped.

"I forgot, Kory, I'll be out the entire day. Bruce is leaving tomorrow, you know, for that huge problem we were having with the shipping from Argentina with Wayne Foods. So before he leaves, he's got this big..." Dick waved his free arm around to indicate just _how_ big. "Party thing. Some hall down south, he didn't want to have it in the Manor. I'll have to be there."

Kory nodded in understanding and helped him into his coat, despite his protests. "Of course. Have fun," she teased. Dick rolled his eyes and trudged out the door, looking back once to see his beautiful best friend waving good-bye. "I will wait."

"Don't. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

She frowned. "Truly? I--"

"You don't mind coming with me to Wayne Enterprises, do you? There's a lot of work that Bruce left behind, mostly letters to write and send out. You know, formal-sounding, stuff I always end up putting a 'gonna' or something in."

Kory's eyes brightened. "Of course I shall! I did not think I would--"

"Kory, don't you dare say you didn't think you weren't up for it. Do you honestly think I'd trust anyone else with this?"

"Alfred?"

"Kory..."

"I know, I know. Now go, you will be late." She embraced him lightly and let go. "Do not forget to be polite!" Kory called after him as he stumbled out dazedly.

One thing Dick dreaded over anything else for this big get-togethers of Bruce's were dates. Bruce never forced him into one, of course, but most people thought it strange that with Bruce being such a playboy, that Dick avoided girls as much as he could. Well, not all women. The only one he'd ever thought about in a romantic way was completely off limits to him.

Kory wasn't exactly a servant, but definitely not one of the family. She was an orphan that Bruce had found quite a few years before, lost and confused in the huge city that was Gotham, trying to slip through the gates of Wayne Manor and babbling about palaces and kings and queens. She had been but five, then, and was far too miserable to give him any account of who she was, or what had happened to her. She even spoke a different language, which Bruce later learned was related to French.

To adopt her then would have caused quite a scene with the media. It had been a rather dark time for Wayne Enterpises, and Bruce was just beginning to go through his womanizer persona. A five-year-old girl...well, the media could say very disgusting things. And Bruce had not wanted to go there. He'd taken her back to Wayne Manor and had a servant there, May Eyre, take Kory under her wing. Kory explored every nook and cranny of the huge mansion, and slowly learned how to keep everything shining, how to care for her Master Bruce, when to help the adults and stay out of the way. She was home-schooled, with one of the finest tutors Bruce could find. Kory zipped through her studies, her English becoming more precise than most adults's, but never gave the impression of wanting to do anything greater than care for Wayne Manor and everyone in it. May oftened noted that it was a shame such a talent had gone to waste.

When Bruce Wayne adopted Dick, he'd met Kory and the two had connected instantly. They became inseperable since they were nine, always looking out for the other and sharing everything. Even as they grew older, about the time where a guy spending time with a girl who they weren't dating was unheard of, they were almost joined at the hip. Kory was one of the biggest reasons why Dick moved on, if not smoothly, but more easily than most would have expected after his parents's murders.

As they grew, though, Bruce seemed to harbor a certain dislike for Kory, something Dick could never place. The hints of this were vague and took deep thinking to realize, like how, when Bruce visited the servants to see how they were doing, he never even bothered to look in Kory's direction or ask for her opinion, though the girl knew more about the Manor than most. Dick had assumed it was because she was young, her opinion didn't count yet. And the way that she almost never had time anymore to sit and talk to him for more than five or ten minutes, with all that Bruce asked for her to do in a day. But those weren't the only thing. He never knew if Kory noticed it or not, but he had begun to do so at around his early teenage years.

But now...Dick sighed. Now they were older, and not only that, but _everything_ was more complicated. He was a celebrity. Social order, papparazzi, fans and critics, and more. They all came into play. And he hadn't even begun to consider Kory's own feelings. The closest thing she'd ever said to 'I love you' was the hugs she gave him, most of them out of happiness and sometimes back-breaking in nature, or grabbing his hand when he cried, earlier on in his adoption, and saying, "Don't cry. It's okay, Robin." And that had been the pet name his mother had given him. If any at all, the love on her side was entirely sisterly.

It bugged him. A lot.

* * *

Kory's smile faded into a much more dreamy one as she watched Dick back out of the driveway. He looked thoughtful, too. This was proved by the fact that he rear-ended the tree at the end of the lot...yet again. It was amazing the thing stood up. Kory giggled, knowing he would be cursing right about then. 

When the car finally exited the driveway without steamrolling the trees the gardener had spent so much time tending, Kory waltzed back inside the Manor, ready to help her surrogate mother with the dishes. She was stopped by a voice. "Hey, girl. You remembered to take Mr. Wayne's tux back from--"

"Of course, Karen," Kory assured her chocolate-skinned friend. Karen hadn't been here long, only about a year, but was already tired of the work that never bothered Kory. Karen was very much a girly-girl, and the only reason she stayed was because Bruce Wayne paid quite a lot, enough to cover Karen's extravagant shopping sprees. "Is Vic coming by today?"

Karen shrugged. "You know Sparky, he'll never call me. Why are you so happy? You've been smiling at me since I said hi."

Kory stared down and fiddled with her shirt. "I'm always happy, Karen."

"Lemme guess. Loverboy again?"

"Kory?" May came hobbling out of the door to the kitchen. The woman was rather fat and ugly, but baked amazing pies for Kory when the girl did something right. Kory was sure she would always remember that one thing about May. Her pies were enough to send anyone groveling to their feet for one. "I was wondering where you'd wandered off to, dearie."

"Kory, you didn't answer my question," Karen smirked. Kory opened her mouth to say something, but May interrupted her. Between the two of them, Kory would very possibly never geta chance to speak.

"This isn't about Mr. Grayson again, is it?" May sighed, shaking her head. "Kory, Kory...it is best to give up, dearie. You know your place, and he knows his. And he's about at that age where he wants for a woman like _him, _someone who doesn't clean houses every day, someone high and mighty and rich. Of course, you very possibly could have amounted to something, Kory, but...wasted talent..." May closed her eyes, that recollection obviously still painful for her. "I'm only looking out for you, you know." Kory bit her lip and nodded, and Karen wisely said nothing else to dampen Kory's spirit.

Kory wasn't sure when her feelings for Dick had escalated far past that of friendship and into love, but she was certain that was what she felt now, even though she shouldn't. It didn't matter though, because Dick was here, and he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. And for now, Kory was content with that. Mostly.

She grabbed a few dishes and began to scrub, taking her mind off of him. The back door slammed, and someone reprimanded the person who let it slam. Seconds later, the careless man came into the kitchen. "Hey, Bee, Kory, how's it goin'?"

"Vic!" Kory cried happily, dropping a plate into the water to go and hug him. Vic, the resident mechanic, was like a brother to her, and also Karen's boyfriend. Kory backed away so the two could reunite for a few minutes before starting a conversation. "How are you? We have not seen you for almost a week! What happened? Did Mr. Wayne's car crash? Is he alright? Was Dick with him? Are they hurt? What is going--mmph!" Karen slapped a hand over Kory's mouth and grinned.

"Go ahead and explain, Vic."

"Right. So, Apparently, Mr. Wayne's going to Argentina, so he asked me to come last minute and fix up the bumper on the car Dick keeps scratchin' up, but apparently the little guy took it to work. I'll be inspecting the other ones, see if anything's wrong with 'em, 'cause Mr. Wayne is having a friend look after the house and wants to impress," Vic explained.

Kory had gone back to her dishes, but sighed in relief when she was convinced that there had been no car crashes except Dick's earlier that morning with the tree. She chuckled at the nickname Vic had given Dick, a name Dick truly resented. He was't _that_ short, but Vic was virtually made for basketball, over six and a half feet tall. Kory herself was rather tall and willowy, a few inches over six feet. Karen was more petite, but she and Dick almost never met unless Vic or Kory was there, and Dick was mostly concentrating on the negative. Kory had always felt sorry for him, but Vic teased him in every manner possible. And even she had to admit (though not to Dick's face), it was pretty funny.

"Any of y'all seeing Gar today? Little man owes me ten bucks, he lost that bet on whether or not I could do three hundred push-ups in a row. That midget walked out before I was done!" Karen rolled her eyes.

"You're gonna bankrupt that guy, Vic. Hold back on the bets now, will you?" she scolded. Vic shrugged indifferently, and Kory knew he was just calculating the interest Gar owed him, not listening to his girlfriend at all.

"I've gotta go, before someone else decides to come and yell at me. See you later," Vic said, kissing Karen and giving Kory a one-armed hug before walking away, muttering about 'idiotic screen doors.'

"We'd better get back to work," Karen acknowledged finally.

"I wonder..." Kory murmured thoughtfully. "Dick had said nothing about a man coming to Wayne Manor."

"Maybe he didn't know," Karen offered. Dick always told Kory everything, there was no other explanation.

Kory shook her head, snapping out of her trance. "Maybe..." But she knew something was off.

* * *

"Your Majesty, we are now arriving in Gotham," Galfore's flight attendant told him. Galfore nodded.

"Very well. I assume there is a place at the king's palace for us?"

The attendant shifted uncomfortably. "I'm afraid not, Your Majesty. There are no kings here. There is, however, a very fine 'hotel' that will supply you with meals every morning and two large rooms." Galfore frowned, wondering what kind of place had no king, but nodded. This stay was going to be interesting.

"You may leave." She hurried off, and Galfore turned to his advisor. "How will we find Koriand'r? She should have been at the king's palace, but there is none, so where? Karras assured me he would deposit her in a safe place..."

His advisor had no answer.

* * *

Yay I got another update in! This was just an introduction, but drama starts next chapter: as Bruce leaves, someone else drops in, and he's not friendly...


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, the story has changed DRASTICALLY. Well, not really, just felt like putting emphasis on that :) I replaced the last chapter, and it'll make a LOT more sense if you go back and read it, because I took something out of there. At least, if you want to read it, that'd be great, but just so you know, Rachel was NOT supposed to be mentioned last chapter. At all. So sorry...

Thanks to **TAUT13, SuPeR HyPeR chick 101, Crimson Black, RavenSis, Black Raven 13, MyLittleDomino, cartoonfire, BerryDrops, RobinxStarfireLuvr, Sizzlin'-Starry-Night-sky, tennisgal456, jcyz, **and** Royal Blue **for reviewing the last chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

* * *

A grand hall in the middle of Gotham. Formerly a church, it had been renovated thoroughly. The whole room was golden: golden cups, golden plates, golden walls, golden curtains, golden chandeliers, golden tiles...the list went on and on. The gold was starting to hurt Dick's eyes. Would it have killed the people to have a little bit of green or red or purple around there? 

Elevator music was blurring his thought process. Maybe that was why so many businessmen at the top were so corrupted and stupid. Elevator music was brainwashing them. Dick had always taken fifteen flights of stairs anyway, for the exercise. Now he had another reason. Wonderful.

"'Evening, Mr. Grayson. How are you?" some competitor/freind of Bruce asked him.

"Great, thanks, and yourself?"

"Doing fine." The man showed no signs of moving away, and Dick bit back a sigh.

"How are the wife and kids?" he asked.

"Great, great. Alice is going through that 'phase,' you know. Just entered high school, and all of her friends are making quite a big deal out of my friendship with your father. They're sure she and you will...ah, what's the phrase they use now?...'hook up,' I think." He chuckled. "How absurd."

Dick produced a decent manufactured chuckle. "I'll say. I was almost sure that died out in the eighteen hundreds. Don't kids go for someone their own age, nowadays?"

"Yes, of course, but you should see the way she runs after celebrities. Why, just the other day, Alice was fawning over the pictures she has of that one Zachery boy, from the musical. It just goes to show..." Dick wasn't really listening anymore. Honestly, there was a limit to how much he cared about teenage girls' fantasies.

"Good evening, James. And you must be Bruce's ward. I can hardly believe we haven't met yet. Tristan Roth." A large man with a very red face and silvery hair squinted at Dick through beady, black eyes. Dick smiled and nodded, repressing a shiver. He already didn't like this man. "I have a daughter, have you met?"

A strange girl was pulled forward by Mr. Roth, very obviously trying to hide a scowl. Her hair was dyed a dark purple, with contacts to match. It did look kind of pretty, once Dick got over the shock, but, evidently, it was not to her father's taste. "Rachel Roth," she introduced herself quietly, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Dick Grayson. Nice to meet you."

She nodded indifferently and looked away. Dick sighed again. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Good evening, your Majesty," simpered the hotel employee. "I hope the accommodations are to your liking." Galfore glanced around his suite, nodding at the plush furniture and lavish decorations. His eyes rested on the room beyond, but he decided to check that later.

"Thank you."

"If there is anything you need..."

Galfore glanced out the window, startled at the view. The building he was staring at was quite as large as a castle, though only hazy outlines were available to see in the twilight. "Yes, there is something. What is that building?"

The employee strained to see. "Oh, that? Wayne Manor, owned by Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises. It is a marvel of modern architecture, isn't it? Never quite seen anything like it, but there you have it, Bruce is the richest man in Gotham, you know..."

And Galfore knew immediately. The agent he'd sent with his bumgorf would automatically mistake it for a palace, and place her somewhere nearby there. Koriand'r was in Wayne Manor. He was sure of it. And he would check it first thing the next morning.

* * *

"Dick...Dick...rise, please, you will be late for work..." Why was his teddy bear talking to him? And why did it suddenly have red hair?

"Shh..." he groaned, pulling his bear closer to him. It squeaked. Was it a rubber duck?

A pillow came out of nowhere and thwacked him in the head.

"Argh! Stupid bear! I knew I should've thrown you out years ago!" he yelled, thrashing blindly. The pillow lifted and flew to the side.

"_Bear_?" asked Kory, steaming at the ears. "You consider me overweight and--"

"No! No, no, no!" Dick cried, protecting his face with his arms, hoping against hope Kory wouldn't beat him to a pulp. "I was sleeping, Kor, I thought you were something else! Don't hurt me, please?" Kory 'hmphed' and walked out of the room, and Dick sighed. Once Kory was angry, which didn't happen very often, it would take a while for her to calm down.

The doorbell rang, and Dick hopped out of bed as the butler, Alfred, opened the door. Alfred could only entertain guests for so long, and Bruce had left at five o'clock that morning, leaving just him. He rushed down the stairs, suprised, and managed a weak 'hello' to Tristan and Rachel Roth.

"Good morning, Dick," Tristan greeted, condescending all of a sudden. "I hope you slept well?"

"Uh...I mean, yes."

"Good. Then, we have business to sort out. You see, Rachel and I have come from Jump City to help you with Wayne Enterprises while Bruce is on his trip. We were under the impression that we were allowed to stay here in the legendary Wayne Manor." Tristan smirked. "Will you show us to our rooms?"

Dick frowned, unaware that this was ever part of the plan. "Uh, sure. Just come up with me..." Tristan left his three suitcases for Alfred to get, but Rachel lugged hers all the way up behind her.

Dick chose two random rooms right across the hall from each other. Bruce regularly had important people stay at the Manor after parties and such, so there were quite a few guest bedroom situated around the place. But usually, he'd tell Dick first...

"This will do. Thank you," Tristan said. Rachel quietly exited, and Dick heard the door to the room he'd given her shut. "Now, we have business to sort out. If you are to work under me, we need to set down--"

"Hold on, _under_ you? I thought you were just a supervisor!" Dick blurted. This morning was all too confusing for him.

Tristan gave him a glare cold enough to freeze molten lava. "Do you have a concern? We can call Bruce, if you want to argue."

Dick shut his mouth, still doubtful and angry. "No. It's fine."

"Good. You'd almost gotten yourself fired."

* * *

Kory was not used to taking insults from Dick. She'd never had to. It was like one of her worst nightmares come true: Dick goes to a party. Dick meets a girl. Dick likes the girl. The girl is rich. Dick spends all of his time with her, in her high society. Dick forgets Kory. She'd heard this story many, many times from May. Apparently, the same thing had happened to her once. But Kory had no idea that she would fall victim to the pain of love as well.

_It always starts very small, unnoticeable_, Kory told herself fearfully. What if that was really happening, right at that moment? There was a girl at Wayne Manor, right now. Kory had seen her and an older man when coming down from straightening a guest room. Was that _her_?

"Kory, be a dear and had me the dish towel!" May called from the other room. Kory shook her head, repressing her fears for the time being. It was no use to worry when there was work to be done.

Work...and then Kory realized. Dick had promised to take her with to work, but he'd already left. And that girl had gone with him.

* * *

Again, I'm sorry! Also, the summary's changed...but you guys probably already knew that...


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

* * *

"Excuse me, Mr. Roth. There are guests at the front door. Would you like to greet them or should I ask Master Di--" a servant began, meekly adressing the formidable man.

"Show them to the living room, have them sit down, and offer them some refreshments. I will be there," Tristan answered coldly. He finished typing a document and shut down the computer.

Waiting in the living room were men unlike any Tristan had ever seen before. Taller and more muscular than even him. Tristan frowned, not a big fan of being intimidated, but turned it upside-down and sat on an armchair across from his guests.

"Good morning. How can I help you?"

The taller of the two, with a long mane of reddish-orangey hair, leaned forward. "We have a few questions to ask of you. My name is Galfore. I am the ruler of Tamaran." Royalty. That was never good.

"I apologize for not greeting you properly, your Majesty. My name is Tristan Roth, I am the owner of a large company in California. The owner of this mansion has stepped out for a few weeks, and I am taking over for a while."

Galfore did not looked pleased. "Very well. We are searching for a princess, who was lost many years ago. We have reason to believe she is here in Wayne Manor. Do you recognize her?" Galfore held up a picture of a ten-year-old-ish girl with black tresses and startlingly violet eyes. "We had no pictures of her whatsoever. This is her sister, who was taken captive and died during a war," Galfore explained, sadness crowding in his eyes. "She may not bear the same likeness, but they were almost twins until Komand'r's hair turned dark. The missing girl's name is Koriand'r, if that will help the search."

Tristan was rather uninterested, but tried not to show it. "I am so sorry. I have no record of any Koriand'r or Komand'r anywhere in this mansion. However, if you would like, you are more than welcome to stay and investigate. It would be an honor to have royalty among us," Tristan lied. Galfore sighed and glanced around at the lavish setting.

"Thank you...perhaps later. This was our one chance, we do not know..." Galfore mumbled to himself. The second man finally spoke.

"We will take our leave. Thank you."

* * *

"So..." Dick searched around for any bits of conversation that might lessen the awkwardness of the atmosphere. Rachel glanced up at him, waiting for him to speak. Away from her father, she was just as quiet. "You like to read?" He nearly slapped himself. Of course she liked to read, that was why she carried a book everywhere. Idiot. 

"Yes."

The two were taking a lunch break, sitting outside Wayne Enterprises. Tristan had unofficially taken over the company. The vice presidents had questioned him, but he'd shown papers signed by Bruce and threatened to call the CEO, so they let it slide. Dick was shoved back into his place, and unable to do a thing about it. Rachel sat in a corner of the office, reading and occasionally jotting down notes.

"Oh...so where do you work?"

"I'm an author."

Yes! He'd gotten more than a monosyllable response! "Of what?"

"Dark poetry."

Dick shifted slightly. "That's...nice..."

"No, it's not. That's why it's _dark_ poetry." The corners of her mouth had twisted upwards just a bit. "Thanks for trying."

"Yeah...uh, no problem." Another tense silence ensued. "Um..."

"I normally refrain from speaking excessively."

Dick chuckled. "I can see that."

There was definitely an upward twist to her smile, now. "I didn't want you to take it personally."

Occasionally, Dick attempted a few conversation starters, but mostly they ate in silence. He got up, finished, and came back, squinting at her small, spidery writing. "That's a poem?"

"Notes. Fragments. I'll turn them into poetry later."

"Must be fun, writing."

"It's not bad. I write novels, too. But I enjoy poetry more. The language and flow always makes the story better."

Dick could not believe he was actually offering insight on this topic. Poetry--not one of his hobbies. Dark poetry--waaay down there. "I bet this friend of mine would make a great poet. The way Kory talks is like--Kory!" He sprang up, cursing at himself for not remembering. Rachel looked on with a raised eyebrow. "Hold on, I have to make a call."

* * *

The phone rang, and Kory picked it up, trapping it between her ear and shoulder and resuming her dishwashing. "Hello?"

"Kory, I'm so sorry, I totally forgot you were supposed to come with me today," Dick ranted. Kory smiled, even though he couldn't see her, and tried not to think of reasons why he would have forgotten.

"It is fi--"

"I don't know, I've had a tough day, and this guy won't let me do a thing, he's taken over the entire flipping place! I can't believe Bruce doesn't trust me enough to let me run this for a few weeks, honestly, but that's no excuse, I should've remembered, but I don't even know if Tristan'll let--"

"Dick, it is perfectly understandable. Please do not stress. I will speak with you upon your arrival."

"Thanks, Kor. See you later."

"Good bye." She hung up, staring at the phone. "I lo--"

"Kory, dear, that plate is perfectly clean! Stop scrubbing, you'll scratch it! Of course you wouldn't know anything about this, you should be in medical school, not here. Wasted talent," May muttered, hobbling through the room.

* * *

"...So I guess it was just a furnace thump or something, but Kory and I were scared out of our minds," Dick said, smiling at the recollection.

Rachel smirked. "You talk about Kory quite a bit."

Dick shrugged, not liking where this was going. "She's my best friend. Nearly every memory I have has her in it, we've known each other for years." He pulled into the driveway of Wayne Manor.

"Is that all?" Rachel asked as they walked to the door.

He frowned, quickly smiling when Kory opened the door. "Hey, Kor."

"Hello, Dick, did you have a nice--" Dick was already gone, dragging Rachel by the wrist.

"What did you mean?" She just kept smirking. "Is it that obvious?"

"Blatantly. And, for future reference, women don't enjoy being interrupted when they're being nice by having the guy they're talking to walk away with another girl in tow." She sighed at Dick's blank look. "You're kind of clueless, you know that?"

* * *

"Hey, Kory!" cried a high-pitched, friendly voice. Gar Logan sidled up to her. "Whatcha doin'?"

She smiled at him. "Hello, Gar! I am merely cleaning appliances so that they may be sanitary while we are cooking." Gar frowned and tried to work that out in his head.

"Oh. Sounds pretty boring."

"It is not."

"Guess what, though? I beat Vic at Mega Monkeys 8! It was awesome! And he had to eat tofu!" Gar was bouncing around the kitchen as he talked, obviously the work of a sugar high. And he was twenty-three.

"Wait, I wish to guess...were you entitled to a bag of candy for your reward?" Kory asked.

"Yep!"

She giggled. "You can be so very childish sometimes. Video games..." Gar rolled his forest-green eyes.

"You don't understand the importance of video games, Kory! They're MANLY!"

Short and scrawny, with a habit of pranking people, Gar Logan was the farthest thing from manly. And he was peculiar in many ways, too. A former girlfriend of his, Tara Markov, had pointed out that he used his sense of smell more than his sight, except when it came to cleaning his room (and later, his house).

Gar sniffed the air suddenly, frowning. "It smells weird. Is there someone new here? Or is it a fire?"

Kory glanced around the kitchen worriedly. "I do not believe it is a fire. But there is a new family that is staying here for the time being. I will show you."

She led him out into the hallway and they peeked into the living room, where the girl was reading. "That is the daughter." Gar let out a low whistle, his eyes beginning to travel. Kory smacked him with a towel. "Dick has taken a liking to her. And she is the daughter of a very rich man."

"Aw, man! Dick already has you, why does he have to take all the hot girls?" Kory blushed and sneaked back into the kitchen. Gar followed. "I'm serious! Vets never get the girl! It's always the billionaires! Haven't you seen the movies?"

"Yes, Gar."

"Sheesh, Dick is one lucky guy." Kory glanced up at him. "To have you, I mean," he added hurriedly. Kory sighed. "Hey. So Dick's got himself a girlfriend, big deal! Doesn't mean he likes you any less."

"Of course not," Kory answered, trying and failing to inject some sort of happiness into her words. Needless to say, it didn't work.

* * *

Okay, I'm gonna speed up this story a lot. It'll only be like ten chapters, maybe less. I'm just getting kinda bored with it. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titansor anything else here.

* * *

The next morning, much to Tristan's disappointment, Galfore was at the door yet again. "Good morning, Mr. Roth. If you would not mind, we would much rather conduct our search from here. We have reason to believe the princess is not far from this point," the king explained.

"Of course! Let me--" Dick and Rachel appeared at the door, immersed in some sort of deep conversation, but they stopped as soon as they saw Tristan and Galfore.

"Hello..." Dick began, gancing at Tristan for help.

"Dick, this is King Galfore--"

"Emperor," corrected the man standing beside him, probably a guard.

"Of course. Emperor Galfore of Tamaran, and he will be staying with us for a while."

Dick exchanged confused stares with Rachel. "Oh. It's a pleasure to meet you, your Highness. Are you in the United States on business?"

"You could say that," Galfore answered tiredly.

"Rachel and I are heading out for a bit of extra work before the company opens."

"I left a few papers for you to sign," Tristan said coldly.

"No, I meant--"

"Papers. Nothing else. You'll ruin something. Now leave." He turned back to addressing Galfore. "Please come in. I will find you a room to put your things in." Dick scowled and left with Rachel.

"Dick! Do not leave! You have forgotten your--" Kory rushed up to the door, waving Dick's cell phone. It was too late, the car was already pulling out of the driveway. She could see Rachel warning him before he hit anything on the other end of the driveway, and he successfully completed the first smooth turn on to the road she'd seen in a long time. Her shoulders sagged, and she clutched the phone tightly in her hand. Kory hadn't even noticed the other people in the room.

"Give it to me," Tristan ordered. "I'll get it to that irresponsible kid. You, you help Emperor Galfore settle in, understood?"

Kory acknowledged them for the first time, startled. "Of course. My apologies. Please follow..." She finally caught sight of the emperor. Something clicked in her mind, she wasn't sure what, but it was there. Memories of running through open grounds and vast hallways, laughing and playing, staring out into a sunset over a vast ocean..."Me."

The walk up to a spare room was quiet. She had the feeling that Galfore was feeling the same thing she was. But why?

"I hope it is comfortable," she mumbled.

"Thank you. And what is your name?"

Uneasy under his scrutinizing stare, Kory searched for the quickest was out. "K-kory."

"Kory," he repeated. She nodded, avoiding eye contact, and rushed down to the kitchen.

* * *

"Hey. I guess you're the famous Rachel I've been hearing so much about," said an unknown man next to Rachel. She frowned at his grinning visage. He was scrawny and almost little-boy cute. What surprised her most, though, was his dyed green hair.

"That...that's redundant," she replied, mentally slapping herself for being unable to come up with a proper greeting.

"Huh?"

"'Famous' and 'been hearing so much about.' You only need one." At least, she thought so. Why wasn't she thinking straight?

"Oh. Are you an English teacher or something? My English teachers never liked me," he joked. "Gar Logan."

"Rachel Roth."

"I know. Being redundant, remember?"

She coughed embarrassedly. "How do you know me?"

"Kory. The redhead in Dick's mansion. She told me about you." He chuckled, catching her eyeing his hair. "You like the color? I did it to remind people to stay green. You know, global warming and whatnot. I think it's working. Whenever I tell someone to remember to recycle the newspaper, they don't even pick it up."

"Nice."

"Isn't it? So, your Dick's girl?"

Rachel blinked. "No."

"Really? But you two are always together."

"And how would you know that? Stalker, are you?"

"Nah, that's what everyone's making it sound like."

"Who's 'everyone'?"

Gar waved it away. "If you're not taken, then, would you like to go out to coffee?" Rachel almost smiled. They were in a coffee shop, one of the only ones that she knew existed in this city, and had decided to spend her lunch break in it.

"Sure."

* * *

"Good evening, Dick. How was your day?" Dick looked up from his conversation with Rachel and smiled at Kory. "I hope I was not interrupting..."

"'Course not, Kor. It was good. See you around." Rachel's eyes widened and she shot Dick a glare that he didn't quite understand the meaning of. "What? I thought you were talking about going out to coffee!" Kory turned away. Now they were going on dates?

"Oh, Dick! You received your cell phone, yes?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I gave it to Rachel, she won't forget it," he chuckled. Kory sighed and walked away.

She should have been happy for him. He'd finally found someone he liked. She could not remember the last time Dick had had a girlfriend. But there was something about it that was so _wrong_...probably her own feelings for him. She glanced back at the two with a heavy heart. _It is not worth it, Kory. You are his best friend, that is all._

* * *

"You idiot, Kory thinks we're dating! Apparently, the whole city thinks so, too!" Rachel hissed at him.

"But I thought you were dating Gar? Why would Kory think that, I don't even--"

"I know." Rachel inhaled deeply. Dealing with ignorant billionaires was not her specialty, and he was really good at getting her frustrated. "No one else knows that. Poor Kory doesn't, either! You...what you said back there made it seem like we were," she explained as patiently as possible.

"What's the point? You can't tell me for sure that she cares about me at all."

_Do not explode. Do not explode. _"Dick, do you think she'd even try if she thought you were dating someone else?"

"Oh...I should go talk to her," Dick deduced.

"Very good. Move. Fast."

* * *

"And, I truly believe he cares for her very much. Normally he would stop for conversation, yes?"

"Yeah! I think you need to win your man back!" Karen exclaimed.

"But Karen, he was not my 'man' to begin with! He obviously feels nothing for me," Kory admitted unhappily.

Karen rolled her eyes. "Of course he does, he's just confused. We can bring him around. Come on, I'll put you in an outfit he'd _never_ be able to resist!"

* * *

"Kory? Hey, Kory, guess what? There's this really funny story I've got to tell you--Kory?" Dick peeked into her room, but she wasn't there. He heard giggles coming from Karen's room, though, and decided to check.

"Karen? Have you seen--gufshnuckluffoxch..." Kory turned to him hopefully.

"Dick? Do you like it?"

"Yeah _Dick_. What's your opinion?" chortled Karen.

"Gamushnfe...Rachel...gah!" Dick hightailed it out of there.

Kory sighed. "That did not work very well."

"That _idiot_!"

* * *

"And...and...you should've _seen_ her, Rachel, I--"

"What'd you do?" Rachel asked, dreading the answer.

Dick scratched the back of his head. "I...ran."

"You ran," Rachel repeated wearily.

"I couldn't help it! I didn't know what to do and..and..."

"I don't want to hear it."

* * *

"Okay, so he messed that up, that's okay."

"Karen, please," Kory mumbled. "It is most definitely not worth it. I do not wish to even attempt to interfere with any relationship of Dick's, if he is happy. Can you not see? He _ran _from me, Karen, perhaps he could not bear the sight of me in such...revealing...attire."

"But--"

"And it has always been as such, Karen! He is far superior to me, yes? There are social classes everywhere, and I would not have belonged with him even if he had cared for me. He sees more in someone from his own world..."

"Wait--"

"When was the last time he had spoken to you? Or Gar? Or Vic? Not since Rachel has arrived. I do not blame her at all, but Dick now realizes that there are better things, betterpeople, that he should be associating with. It was fine when we were young, but now, things have changed."

"Maybe--"

"No." Kory got up and walked into the bathroom to change. "I thank you for trying to help, Karen, but..."

Karen had never seen Kory as downtrodden as she had been when leaving that room. "I'm going to kill him."

* * *

"Kory? May I request a favor?" Galfore asked the girl as she passed his room.

"Of course, sir." Kory beamed, however miserable she felt.

Galfore smiled back at her in a fatherly sort of way. "Please, call me Galfore. Come, Kory. I wish to talk."

Kory bit her lip, but listened to him. She sat on the chair in front of the dresser, and he pulled up the computer desk's chair. "Tell me, Kory. Where do you come from? You do not seem a native of this place."

"I do not know," Kory murmured. "Master Bruce found me when I was very young. I have no memories of my past home." She didn't want to tell him about the flashbacks she'd had earlier. She wasn't at a psychiatrist's office.

"Where are your parents?"

Suddenly, Kory wanted to leave. She didn't like the probing questions. "I do not know."

"Your other family?"

"I...I do not know..."

"Your life before this?"

She stood up. "I have work..."

"Of course. Good night, Kory."

He knew the answer anyway.

* * *

Why did he want to know? What was the Emperor here for anyway? That entire business was extremely suspicious to her, and she wasn't sure who else knew about it. And why did she feel like she should _know _him?

"Kory?" Great, it was Dick.

"I apologize, I am not able to speak with you. There is much for me to do..." Kory mumbled to him, bowing her head and shuffling off, adding quietly, "...Master Dick."

He heard.

* * *

Don't you like just going ;alskdjffjdkla;a;slkdfjjfdkla;;alskdjfjfkdl;a;alsjdffjkdls;a on the keyboard? I found myself doing that a lot this chapter...but I deleted it, I hope :)


	6. Chapter 6

So...

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

* * *

"Hey, Kory!" Gar chirrupped. "How's it going?"

Kory swept away a strand of red hair out of her equally red eyes. "Wonderfully."

"You don't sound so great."

"Nonsense!" she argued a bit too earnestly. Gar shrugged, tracing his fingers over the intricate carving of the stairwell banister while Kory watered a plant next to the staircase. "How are you?"

"Great! Got a little late at school last night--apparently, to be a vet, you have to be good with _numbers_. Like animals care about that! I mean, they don't want you reciting algebraic fractions at them when they've got a broken leg or something--"

"Gar."

"Oh yeah. So, I'm tired. How about you?"

Kory smiled grimly. "I am well. What business are you on today, over here?"

"Nothing, just the usual. But I gotta go home and get ready for my hot date," he told her, grinning so wide his canines showed.

"Your...what?"

"A date! I'm gonna get with the HOTTEST girl in town, dude! Well, except you, of course," he said matter-of-factly, "But it'd be weird asking you out, you know?" He just so happened to notice Kory's crestfallen face. "I mean, that came out wrong, Kory--"

"It is fine. I have much work to do, if you would rather talk to...Dick...about how 'weird' I am and how--"

"You're not! That's not what I--he asked you on a date?"

She frowned at him. "Of course not."

Gar scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, okay. I had to tell you something, but I completely forgot it..."

"Too bad," Kory said sympathetically.

"No, I've gotta remember, it was really important...I think..."

"While you are thinking, I have five more plants to water. Do not hurt yourself!" Kory called to him as she walked away, disheartened. Of course, she shouldn't be surprised. If _Gar_, who couldn't resist a girl if she was standing in the middle of a pit of molten lava, thought she was terrible, what would _Dick_ want with her?

* * *

It seemed like whenever Dick was near Rachel, this strange sequence repeated itself. There was always a flash of red that he detected from the corner of his eye--and it reminded him a lot of Kory's hair--and then a choked sound, like someone was trying to to holler something. But whenever he investigated the noise, there was nothing there. But it couldn't be Kory, however much it sounded like her, since she was too busy avoiding him for reasons he was completely unsure of.

Since the day he'd tried confronting her in the hallway, it seemed as if Kory was nowhere to be found. No one even talked about her. Well, they hadn't talked about her much in the first place, since there was only so much you could say about an all-around nice person and what Judy said when she broke up with her boyfriend was much juicer gossip. But whenever he caught the word 'Kory' floating around in a conversation, he'd feel glares on the back of his head and the words 'poor girl' following right after it.

But the worst feeling had come as soon as the word 'Master' left Kory's mouth. What had she said before? "You are my best friend. I do not have to." The two of them had never considered one superior to the other. Weren't they friends anymore? Was she mad? What had changed? What had he done?

_Well, I don't know, and I can't even ask her because she won't talk to me! _Dick thought angrily. _That's it. Today is entirely devoted to tracking Kory down and trapping her if I have to, but she WILL talk._

"Dick! Snap out of it! You expect me to believe you can lead a company if you can't stop spacing for a single meeting?" Tristan reprimanded him right in front of the employees. Dick muttered embarrassedly under his breath, his face turning red. Everyone else politely looked away.

_You know what, Tristan? I didn't have any of these problems before you came along._

* * *

"Where did that girl go? I have not seen her for a week!" Galfore sighed, frustrated.

"Perhaps it was not wise to upset her," his advisor...well, advised.

Galfore glared at him. "Much help it is to me now. This place is a labyrinth! She could be anywhere and we do not even know our way around here, we may never find her!"

His advisor stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I believe that is what she wants...for us to not find her. She may not want to return to Tamaran."

"Nonsense! I have not even proposed the idea. She does not even know who she is, yet. Kory Anders...how could such a prominent man as Bruce Wayne not know the royal name of Koriand'r? I have been to America before, and people here respect the country of Tamaran!"

"That may be, but perhaps that was what Princess Koriand'r was telling him. 'Koriand'r' could have been misinterpreted, because she was so young at the time."

Galfore sighed again, his exhaustion getting to him. "And I believed our troubles were over...how wrong I was..."

* * *

Kory had never seen Dick around a girl quite so much ever before. Even in high school, when he was continuously stalked by a girl named Kitten Moth (whom Kory enjoyed fending off every once in a while) he had never always been in her company. Kory had vowed to stay out of his way and let his feelings run their course, but that was not necessary. He never even seemed to notice her anymore. Agreed, she darted into the nearest corner whenever he approached, but still...if he liked Rachel Roth so much right now, marriage was a very likely possibility. She wasn't sure, however happy she could manage to be for him, that she would be able to live the rest of her life like this. It was like she was just a part of the scenery, which was hard for her to cope with when, for so many years, she'd been Dick's most trusted friend.

She wiped tears out of her eyes, berating herself for the millionth time that day for thinking such depressing thoughts, not that she could help it. Something caught her eye, out in the garden.

It was Rachel, or rather, the back of Rachel's head. She had her arms around someone, and it didn't look like she was talking to the other person. More like making out with them. A tree obscured her vision, but Kory knew exactly who that other person was. All thoughts about forcing herself to be happy about everything dropped out of her head. She didn't want to take this anymore. She ran.

At least, she ran until she bumped into Galfore's hulking form.

"Kory?"

* * *

Gar pumped his fist into the air as he broke apart from a blushing Rachel. "Score! Who's da man?"

She rolled her eyes and droned, "You are."

"That's right!"

The corner of Rachel's mouth twisted upwards. "I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for dropping me off. Dick's bothered enough as it is."

"No problem-o! And--" Gar stopped, a laggard brainwave hitting him. _Oh yeah, THAT's what I had to tell Kory...Rachel's not dating Dick! Oops..._

_

* * *

..._


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

* * *

"Kory?"

"Oh!" Kory stopped short, hastily wiping tears out of her eyes. Of all the people she had to meet right now, it was someone who'd make her even more upset. "I apologize, sir, are you in need of anything?"

Galfore's concern was evident, but he tried to ignore her tears. "Yes. I am leaving today. And I would like for you to come with me." He wasn't requesting, more like begging. "To Tamaran. Your home."

Kory took a step back. "My h-home?"

"Yes, Kory. The questions I was asking...I did not mean to trouble you, only to see if my suspicions were correct."

"Wayne Manor is the only home I have ever known, Your Highness, and I--" Kory began agitatedly.

"Do you not remember how you came into this country, Koriand'r?" Galfore asked earnestly, his sadness showing through. "My most trusted advisor led you here, to be safe from the war that had killed your sister. I know not what happened to him, but you are safe, Koriand'r. The people of Tamaran would rejoice to have their Princess home again."

Kory's head swam. Princess? Koriand'r? Why did this all sound so familiar? He couldn't be right. She was no princess. A servant, that was all she had ever been. And doctoring was a possibility too, according to May. "I apologize, but perhaps you have the wrong--"

"Person? Oh no. I am quite sure that you are of Tamaranian descent. The way we look is the same, is it not? The way we speak is similar as well. I may not know you quite as well as your own mother or father would, but I know this, that you are the next in line for the throne of Tamaran."

"This cannot be right! I am not your daughter, how...how would I...?"

"Come. There is much to explain, and the tale of your parents's death is tragic. Phyzzon is picking us up in thirty minutes, and there is much time to explain on the flight." He stopped short. "That is...if you would like to leave. I understand that it is difficult to leave behind a home you have had for so long, but..."

The door slammed, and Rachel walked in. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she said, backing into another hallway. Galfore barely noticed her, but Kory sighed. Apparently, there was a whole country that needed her, halfway across the world. And here...Bruce Wayne had a myriad of servants, and she would be able to keep in touch with her friends...the ones that wanted her as a friend, at any rate. She had better tell them her decision.

Trying to swallow her misery, Kory nodded at Galfore. "I will begin packing."

* * *

Why did the kitchen have to be so huge? Dick muttered under his breath, searching high and low for Kory. Where could she possibly be? Wayne Manor was big, but not so big that someone could play Hide-And-Seek forever, right? The Manor needed a guide, someone might get lost and never find their way out.

"Kory! Where are you?" Dick called out pathetically. A figure appeared at the door, and he nearly jumped for joy. Finally, he'd found her.

But no, it was Karen. And she seemed ready to blast his head off, the way she was fuming. "You _idiot_!"

"Uh, hi?"

"It's all your fault! You dim-witted, half-brained, pineapple-hea--"

"Hey! What's going on?"

Karen raised her hand as if to slap him. "She's _leaving,_ that's what!"

"Kory?"

"No, the candy counter girl at the hotel across the street. Yes, Kory! And I hope you're happy when she's gone, 'cause--hey! Get back here, I'm not done yelling at you yet!"

* * *

Kory folded the last of her clothes neatly, fitting it in one large suitcase. She sighed unhappily, taking in her room one last time. All the memories of quiet, peaceful nights spent here--

The door burst open with a loud BANG. "You're leaving?" Dick asked disbelievingly.

"Karen..." Kory groaned to herself. She raised her voice so he could hear it. "Yes."

"What? Why?"

Kory shrugged. "It is a long story."

"Kory..." Dick stepped into her bare room. "What did I do?" What did he do? How could he not see what he'd done to her? Kory took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She would tell him now. Of course, there was nothing in the world that would make her want to steal him from Rachel, if he was truly happy. But he should at least know how she felt about him. She readied herself, but what he said next broke her resolve. "You're my best friend, Kory, you can't just leave..."

Some best friend she was, about to throw their relationship into turmoil. Kory shook her head. The private jet would be arriving soon. "I am sorry. But I must go."

She couldn't bring herself to say anything else, so she walked out the door, leaving a heartbroken Dick behind.

* * *

"Why would she go? I don't get it!" Dick muttered angrily. He had had his chance, and he had lost it. Would it have made a difference to Kory if he told her he loved her? _Probably not. And now apparently, I'll never see her again TO tell her..._He knew she would have to leave someday, but he didn't know that day was so near in the future. The mansion already seemed less homey without Kory there. And evidently, it was all his fault. _But how?_

Karen rushed to him. "That jet is leaving in five minutes," she told him, her voice calm. But he knew her well enough to expect an explosion if he said anything wrong. "Kory is still on it. Why is she still on it, Dick? Didn't you talk to her?"

"What was I supposed to say? I don't even know what I did to make her want to leave!"

Karen looked ready to pull someone's hair out. "You idiot! It's because she's in love with you, and she thinks she doesn't mean anything to you! And there was something about being a princess of some country, but that's not important. She thinks that--hey? Where are you going? Fine, keep running away, see if I care!"

* * *

"Good bye, Vic," Kory said tearfully, hugging the big mechanic. Vic and Gar had drven out to Wayne Manor just to see her off. Karen would probably come up, too, later. But having only two of her closest friends to say goodbye to was hard enough. Vic patted her back.

"We're all gonna miss you, li'l lady."

"I will miss you, as well." She turned to her surrogate mother, who was actually beaming.

"See, Kory? I told you you were meant to be more than a servant. A princess! That's even better than medical school, dear!"

Kory nodded slowly, not really agreeing. "Yes. I suppose it is..."

"Kory, I know this is about being a princess and all--which is so cool--but I guess it wouldn't be such a bad idea to say--" Gar started.

"Kory!" It was Dick. Kory barely had any time to breathe before he grabbed her waist and pulled her into a kiss.

"Sooo did not need to see that!" Gar muttered. Karen walked in and slapped him upside the head.

Kory tried to break away, but she found that she couldn't. She didn't _want_ to, and that just made her all the more angry. This couldn't be happening. She was helping him be unfaithful...however much she wanted this moment to be hers and Dick's alone, it was wrong. So she slapped Dick. Hard.

"Ouch!" Dick jumped away, glaring at her. "What was that for?"

"How _dare_ you cheat on Rachel!" Kory yelled at him, disappointment clouding her eyes.

"Hey, wait a second, how is he dating Rachel? _I'm_ dating Rachel!" Gar interjected.

"I'm not dating Rachel," Dick answered confusedly.

"Me neither," Vic cut in.

"You aren't involved in this Rachel-dating thing," Gar said, elbowing him aside.

"Why are we talking about Rachel?" Rachel asked, appearing in the foyer.

For a minute, everyone was quiet. Then Gar burst into nervous laughter. "Hey, wasn't this funny? How everyone thought that--"

"No!" the rest of them answered simultaneously.

"I'll just shut up, now," Gar decided wisely.

"Koriand'r?" Galfore poked his head into the room. "Are you coming?"

Kory glanced helplessly from Galfore to her friends to Dick, who was still rubbing his sore cheek. "Dick, I am sorry about--"

"It's fine. Whatever." Dick's voice was a lot more bitter than Kory had expected. He obviously wasn't too thrilled about the course their first kiss had taken. She slapped him and now she was leaving. Perfect. "Maybe I'll call you sometime." He turned on his heel and left.

"That little--" Karen was hopping mad, nearly homicidal. "Kory, you don't listen to him! Just because he took you by surprise 'cause he's got _no idea..._You can do whatever you want, no one's forcing you to go or stay."

"That's right, Kory. You deserve to make your own choice. That's the most important," Vic added.

Kory wished someone would force something on her. She couldn't decide. She hated making split second decisions like this. All Kory wanted to do right now was go find Dick and make things better with him, but that was obviously not an option. "I...I...I do not know..."

* * *

His cheek still throbbed. Kory could sure hit hard. Maybe he should do something about it. He already had a second, aching reminder that Kory wanted to leave. _You're being terrible. You shouldn't have done--_

_A lot of things. Big deal. It's too late._

Dick sat down on his computer, not even bothering to turn the light on in his room. He had a new message: Bruce was coming back. At least one good thing was happening. Tristan would have to leave, hopefully. Too bad Rachel would go with him, she'd been a good friend. Gar would be devastated.

**Good to hear, Bruce. You won't believe what's been going on over here. Bet you didn't know we were taking care of a princess. Yeah, that's right, Kory. Some king came over here and he's going to take her back to their country today. Oh, and thanks for trusting me with the company. Or rather, the one chair in my office. You could have told me Tristan was going to run everything. **

If his e-mail back to Bruce was a little more than annoyed in tone, he didn't care. What to do now...

He could hear the jet taking off from the airfield. He opened the blinds and watched it leave, trying not to curse the stupid country. Not because Kory was on that plane, oh no. He knew she had made the decision to stay here, and again, it was all his fault. Maybe if he'd been supportive, she would be doing something she wanted, like running a country. Kory'd be good at it, she kept his whole life in order. But since he'd had that temper tantrum, she was stuck here.

"Dick?"

"Hey, Kory." He stared down at the floor on the side of him, so he wouldn't have to look at her directly.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked quietly.

"No. Sorry I blew up back there. You deserve to go back to Tamaran, be princess and everything. You shouldn't have been here in the first place," he muttered shamefacedly.

Kory walked in, dropping her suitcase on the floor, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "So many people are telling me what I deserve. What about what I _want_, Dick? Perhaps I _want_ to be here, even though I may deserve to be someone more powerful. I am happy here. With you." She smiled at him, moving in closer and gently caressing his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "Had I gone, it would only have been because I was not needed here, and because Galfore wished for his niece." She rested her forehead against his. "I love you, Dick. I have always loved you, and I was so very afraid of losing you."

"You'd never lose me," Dick murmured. "I love you too much. I'm so sorry about what I made you think."

Kory's smile widened. "Then perhaps...we could try this again."

He kissed her again, and this time, no one got slapped.

* * *

The end...


	8. Epilogue

...Or not! This is just an epilogue-y, thought-of-it-at-the-last-minute kinda chapter.

Thanks to **RavenSis, winkygirl12, BerryDrops, cartoonfire, Black Raven 13, Koriand'r Grayson, SuPeR HyPeR chick 101, XxNightfirexX, tennisgal456, so not telling, kjesStar, and jcyz** for reviewing the last chapter! And thanks to everyone who reviewed the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

* * *

"Mom_my_!" the little black-haired girl cried. "You said he would be over today!"

Kory smiled at her. "Of course he will be, my bumgorf. He is running a little bit late, that is all. His flight was delayed by a storm."

"Who are we talking about?" her husband called from the next room. He swung his head in, grinning at his daughter's pouting form. "Oh. Come on, Mar'i, put a smile on. Uncle Galfore wouldn't keep you waiting unless he had something huge planned for you."

"You mean...another pony?" Mar'i asked hopefully. Dick blanched.

"Ah...hopefully not. One is more than enough. I guess you'll have to wait for the surprise." He held out his hand for his wife. "I need to talk to you."

"Is something wrong?" Kory asked out in the hallway.

Dick muttered incoherantly for a second. "Rachel and Gar are flying in from California today, too. Vic and Karen want to drop by, say hi to them. I guess we have a full house tonight." Kory knew there was something else bothering him.

"What is so bad about that?" She leaned into him, sighing contentedly when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Well...you know what happened the last time their kid was over..."

Kory laughed, kissing his cheek. Dick wrinkled his nose at her. "Oh, Dick, they are five years old! It was merely a kiss on the cheek. And it was so adorable...you need not worry about being overprotective for at least seven more years."

"That's too long for me!" he groaned.

She giggled again. "And Dylan only did that because Gar wished to anger you."

"It worked."

"I'm sure Gar saw that, and he will not do it again. Would you lock Mar'i in a tower to keep her away from boys her own age?"

"...Maybe."

"Dick!"

"Okay, okay. I'm fine, completely reassured that some little kid isn't going to burst in and--I think I have paperwork to do. You're sure the lock on Mar'i's door is working?" Kory rolled her eyes and pushed him away, returning to her still sulky daughter.

* * *

"Uncle Galfore!" Mar'i squealed, running towards her great-uncle, barely noting the package in his hands before wrapping her arms around his knees.

Galfore chuckled, boosting the girl on to his shoulders. "Good evening, Mar'i. I apologize for being late, my flight was delayed. Where are your parents?" At that moment, Dick and Kory skidded into the hallway, both of them trying to smooth down their messy hair and hide embarrassed grins.

"Good evening, _k'norfka_. How was your trip? Would you liked something to eat? Our friends are also coming by today, from California. You remember Gar and Rachel, yes? Where is your luggage? Is it still in the car? Would you like me to help you with it?"

"Hey. Need help?"

"I am fine. Someone has come to help me already. X'hal, Mar'i, you have grown so much!"

Mar'i giggled and stretched to grasp the little box in his hand. "What is it?"

"Open it." She lifted the lid to reveal a tiny, jewel-encrusted rocking horse. Setting it on the floor, she pushed down the head and watched the horse sway in fascination. "It used to be you mother's," Galfore explained, "when she lived in Tamaran."

Dick wrapped his arm around Kory's waist protectively, as if he was afraid Galfore would try and take her away again. Kory almost remembered the horse, sitting on a nightstand in her room in the palace...

The doorbell rang. Dick walked over to open it, and was blasted back with a huge "WE'RE HOOOOOOOME!" from Gar and Vic. Rachel and Karen shook their heads at their husbands's antics, escorting three kids into the house. Mar'i immediately wriggled out of Galfore's arms to join them, but Dick held her back, giving Dylan Logan a distrusting stare. "Dick, Kory, Mr. Emperor Galfore Sir, Mar'i. How's it going?"

"Very well," Kory answered, forcefully removing Dick's hands from Mar'i's shoulders. Gar chuckled and bent down to whisper something in Dylan's ear before being smacked in the head by Rachel.

"How's your dad?" Dick asked her, silently giving his thanks.

"His doctor says he's still as crazy as ever. Of course, she put it more mildly, but he's not getting any better. I don't think he will. He was too stressed," she remarked dryly, and if he hadn't known her any better, Dick would have thought she didn't care.

"But hey, we're all here, and now it's time to celebrate!"

"Celebrate what?" Kory inquired.

"Gar, you idiot, it was supposed to be a surprise!" Karen hissed at him. "But now that the cat's out of the bag..."

Gar completely ignored her. "Your surprise birthday party! 'Cause Dick said you only wanted to be with friends and not have a big party! You're thirty now! Ten more years and you're over the hill!"

Kory paled. "Thank you for reminding me, Gar."

"If it's any consolation," Vic added, "Gar's just as old and ten times less mature."

"...Hey!"

"Come on," Dick groaned exasperatedly. "The cake's inside...leave the kids in Mar'i's room. Except for Dylan. He should be--"

"Dick!"

"I mean...um...bring them with us. _Your_ son is getting nowhere near _my_ daughter."

"DICK!"

"Sorry, Kory! I'm a dad, it's what I do!"

* * *

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR KORMOMMYYYYY...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" the children sang (and Gar) sang, while the rest of the adults covered their ears against the deafening out-of-tune-ness. The birthday girl however, was nothing short of pleased with the performance.

"Thank you all so much for coming!" she gushed after she finished suffocating--ah, hugging Gar. Mar'i and her friends rushed off to play in the living room, with Dick's watchful eye following Dylan. Kory turned his head away. "And thank _you _for arranging all of this...and for controlling yourself whenever Dylan is near. You are much better than all of the other fathers who rarely let their daughters do anything." Dick immediately felt bad, as Kory knew he would, before she giggled and kissed him. Vic whooped, snapping a picture with his camera.

"What about presents?" Gar asked.

"You have brought presents as well? You should not have!"

"Koriand'r, it is a birthday party, yes? Presents are required!" Galfore declared, pushing a bag across the dining table towards her. Kory searched inside, finding a jewlery box. Inside was a sparkling, intricate diamond necklace and a pair of diamond earrings. Kory gasped and clapped her hands together, knowing at once that this set would become her new best friend.

"That's beautiful!" Karen breathed.

"It is _glorious_!" Kory walked around the table and hugged Galfore, thanking him endlessly.

"Our turn!" Gar exclaimed. Kory giggled and took his and Rachel's present, a diamond Gucci bracelet that coincidentially (or maybe not...) matched her new set almost exactly.

"How wonderful!" Kory squealed, trying it on. She made to embrace Gar again, but he politely declined after the throttling he'd received earlier. Rachel didn't say no, but didn't really seem very enthusiastic about it either.

"Come on, Sarah, why don't you give Kory her gift?" Karen crooned to her four-year-old. The tiny girl shyly handed Kory a bag and received a kiss on the forehead from the beautiful lady.

Inside was a small, cone-shaped contraption, sleek and silver, with only two buttons on it. "I made it myself," Vic said proudly. "It's an automatic private booth, in case you and Dick decide to--"

"He's joking," Karen cut in. "Why don't you press the button and see for yourself? But you might want to clear the table first." Kory did as she was told, catching Dick's bright red face for a moment and laughing to herself.

There was a soft whirring noise as the bottom of the device opened up and out shot four steel arms, each covered in feather-duster-like material. They watched in amazement as a liquid (Windex, possibly?) squirted from the bottom onto the table. The arms jolted to life, spinning at lightning fast speed and propelling the little cone all around the table, cleaning the whole thing.

"That's really neat," Dick commented, catching the robot and pressing the second, 'stop' button. The arms disappeared back inside.

"Yep. And all you gotta do is fill it up from the top and replace the battery once in a while, but otherwise it just cleans. It's a prototype, I'm still working on how to get it to play music too. You know, _everything_ needs to be an mp3 nowadays."

"It is amazing. Thank you so much, Vic, Karen, and of course Sarah and Alexa."

"Cake!" Mar'i called impatiently.

"Very well, my _bumgorf_. Cake will be served immediately. Look, it is chocolate, our favorite!"

Mar'i bounded onto the table and swiped her finger through the cake, licking off the frosting. "Mmmm!"

Soon, all four kids were crowded around it on the table, and not even their parents could get them off. They gave up, eventually, waiting for the kids to get sick of it and go somewhere else.

* * *

"That was...eventful," Dick mumbled, leaning against the window in his bedroom after everyone else was asleep somewhere else in the huge mansion. Crickets chirped outside, and a warm breeze fluttered through the open window, making him drowsy, though it was only ten o'clock. Kory agreed quietly, massaging his shoulders and resting her head on his back.

"I believe that everyone found Gar covered in chocolate rather amusing, however. His son follows Vic's example very well."

Dick chuckled. "Maybe, if he does it well enough, I won't break a single bone in his body if he comes anywhere near Mar'i."

His wife sighed. "How wonderful. You are softening."

"Heh. A little bit."

She rolled her eyes at him when he turned to face her. "I give up."

"Good." He pressed his lips to hers, drawing back after a few seconds. "Happy birthday, Kory."

* * *

I didn't really like the ending of the chapter, but I apologize if it isn't quite as upbeat and happy as it should be.


End file.
